; there is no
original sin; with the help of God, that is to say, with the
commandments and promises of God revealed by Christ, man may acquire
salvation; he is able to keep these commandments, though not perfectly;
man's shortcomings are pardoned by God on account of his good intention;
an atonement by Christ is not required for this purpose; moreover, the
doctrine of atonement must be opposed as false and pernicious; by His
death Christ merely sealed His doctrine; all who obey His commandments
are adherents of Christ; these will participate in His dominion; the
wicked and the devils will be annihilated; there is no such thing as
eternal punishment; whatever in the Bible comports with human reason and
serves moral ends is inspired; the Old Testament is superfluous for
Christians, because all matters pertaining to religion are contained
better and clearer in the New Testament. (Tschackert, 473.)

Evidently, in every detail, Antitrinitarianism and Socinianism are
absolutely incompatible with, and destructive of, the very essence of
Christianity. The _Apology_ declares that the deniers of the doctrine of
the Holy Trinity "are outside of the Church of Christ and are idolaters,
and insult God." (103, 1.) This verdict is confirmed by Article XII of
the _Formula of Concord_. (843, 30; 1103, 39.)

XXIII. Origin, Subscription, Character, etc., of Formula of Concord.

267. Lutherans Yearning for a Godly Peace.

A holy zeal for the purity and unity of doctrine is not at all
incompatible, rather always and of necessity connected with an earnest
desire for peace; not, indeed, a peace at any price, but a truly
Christian and godly peace, a peace consistent with the divine truth.
Also in the loyal Lutherans, who during the controversies after Luther's
death faithfully adhered to their Confessions, the fervent desire for
such a godly peace grew in proportion as the dissensions increased.
While Calvinists and Crypto-Calvinists were the advocates of a
unionistic compromise, true Lutherans everywhere stood for a union based
on the truth as taught by Luther and contained in the Lutheran
Confessions. Though yearning for peace and praying that the
controversies might cease, they were determined that the Lutheran Church
should never be contaminated with indifferentism or unionism, nor with
any teaching deviating in the least from the divine truth.

As a result, earnest and repeated efforts to restore unity and peace
were made everywher